(This audio is part of the complete Audio Bhagavad Gita Chapter 1 - Visada Yoga in Allet les Bains, France)
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Satyanarayana Dasa
Deliberation and introspection are crucial for your spiritual progress. In this way, you can become conscious of your personal obstacles on the path of bhakti. These obstacles will inevitably appear when you turn to the spiritual path and become aware of your material attachments. The first chapter of Bhagavad Gītā illustrates this phenomenon. In this section, Kṛṣṇa showed Arjuna his opponents on the battlefield of Kurukṣetra. Since Arjuna identified with them, seeing them as his relatives, this attachment made him weak-hearted and dejected. In addition, he rationalized his inability to fight for the right cause as righteousness.
The ego likes to praise itself and criticize others. This is the big pleasure of the ego. The ego hates being criticized. A healthy way of dealing with criticism is to see if there is any truth in it? But you have to be detached from your ego for this. Take the comment as if it is true, and then use it to improve yourself. The doctor gives injection to get rid of the disease. It may hurt, but it can help you.
